WATERLOO, ON – A new version BlackBerry’s private social mobile network BBM is now available for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry customers, the company announced Thursday.
Android and iPhone customers can use BBM to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi or data connection with BBM Voice, as well as access BBM Channels.
The app also enables BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more. BBM customers will also be able to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse, and will have 100 new emoticons available to help them say what’s on their mind.
BBM Channels lets customers chat with other BBM users about topics that interest them. Customers can join channels about a range of topics from products, hobbies and sports to entertainment, fashion, cars and more. Channels can be created by brands, businesses and BBM customers alike.
The new Channels feature lets customers interact with brands or other customers without having to add them to their contact lists for a higher level of privacy. Channel owners can control the conversation on their channels by scheduling set chat hours or interact with subscribers on an invite-only basis.
Each channel has its own performance dashboard, which lets owners see how subscribers are engaging with their channel, how many people have viewed each post and how the subscriber base is growing.
Built-in support for Dropbox is also included in the updated BBM so users can send a file from their personal cloud directly to a BBM contact. On the receiving end, files can be saved directly to a user’s smartphone or added to their Dropbox account.
